Disposable bottle container



u y 1953 N. A. PETTER 2,644,631

DISPOSABLE BOTTLE CONTAINER Filed April 50, 1949 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 .FZ'G'. 4. 0/ I 0 mmvrm NOEL ,4. 1 57-752 Arroeusys.

Patented July 7, 1953 DISPOSABLE BOTTLE CONTAINER Noel A. vFetter, Los Angeles, Calif., assignor to Standard Paper Box Corp., Los Angeles, Calif.,' a corporation of Delaware 1 Application April 30, 1949, Serial No. 90,675

My invention relates to a container for bottles and similar articles.

A general object of my invention is the provision of such-a container that can be made from light weight paperboard or other similar,

inexpensive material in which bottles and similar articles will be securely retained and effectively safeguarded, and yet which may be produced very economically and supplied to users at very low cost.

A more particular object of my invention is the provision of such a container of such low cost that it may be economically disposed of by the ultimate user after a single use.

Another object of my invention is the provision of a container of such character that relatively light weight paperboard or other similar inexpensive material can be employed, yet the container will have sufilcient strength to hold bottles and similar articles for a considerable portion of time without risk of damage to said bottles or articles because of a novel construction wherein the container is reinforced along the points of maximum load.

A further object of my invention is the provision of a container of such character thatit can be fully assembled by the producer, andyet maintained in a fiat, collapsed condition, permitting ready handling and shipping.

A still further object of my invention is the provision of a container of such character that it can be fabricated in its entirety from a sheet of paper-board or like material, with but a negligible waste of such material resulting from unutilized portions of the sheet which must be cut out and discarded.

' Other objects and features-of the invention will be better and more fully understood from the following detailed description of the preferred example of the container which embodies the invention; Such description is given in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:-

Figure 1 is a plan view of a fully assembled container, constructed in accordance with the invention;

Figure 2 is a side section view taken along line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a plan view of the complete blank cut and scored in accordance with the invention from which the container is assembled;

Figure 4 is a plan view of a fully assembled and folded container, showing one mode of fold ing for purposes of handling and shipping;

Figure 5 is an edge view of the fully assembled container illustrated in Figure 4; and

9 Claims. (Cl. 2297-28) Figure 6 is a plan view of the fully assembled and folded container illustrated in Figure 4, showing an alternative mode of folding for purposes of handling and shipping.

Figure 7 is a side section view of the containerassembled from the blank shown in Figure 8.

Figure 8 is a plan view of acomplete blank cut and scored in accordance with the modified form of the invention.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, Figures 1 and 2 show that the container A is a box-like structure separated into two compartments B by the vertical inner side walls D of the Reference is now made to Figure 3 of the draw- I ings, for an understanding of the blank a. The

blanka consists of a piece of suitable sheet material, such as paperboard, having the necessary qualities of strength, stiffness and flexibility,

. which is folded upon itself and the various portions thereof are connected together, whereby the completed container A of Figures 1 and 2 is produced.

Byreference to Figure 3, it will be observed thatv the blank it cut or stamped to the desiredoutline. The solid lines shown on Figure 3 represent those parts of the blank which are fully cut, whereas the broken lines represent those portions of the blank which are merely scored-- so as to facilitate folding the blank into the desired form. As seen in'Figure 3, small rectan-- ular openings b are cut from the blank :1, and small rectangular openings 0 areformed by cutting along the-three sides and scoring along the fourth side of the rectangle, thereby leaving flap d. Triangular openings e are cut from the blank,

as shown. The blank is cut centrally thereof along solid line i running parallel to the longitu- 6, and I; that portion of the blank lying between scored lines 5 and I forming an end wall F best seen in Figure 1, as will hereinafter become apparent. Inwardly of panel g are disposed scored lines 8, 9 and Ill; that portion of the blank lying between scored lines 8 and I forming a second end wall F. Similarly, scored lines II, I2 and I3 are disposed inwardly of panel 2 and scored lines I4, I5 and I6 are disposed inwardly of panel h, that portion lying between scored lines I I and I 3, and that portion lying between scored lines l4 and I6 each forming end walls F as will hereinafter become apparent.

Disposed between scored lines'l and I I is panel 7 and disposed between scored lines It and I4 is panel is. As will hereinafter become apparent, panels a and 7c are utilized to form side walls .1 best seen in Figures 1 and 2.

Set off from panel by scored line I! is panel Z in which are disposed scored lines I8 and I9. That porti n of pan l Z ying be w enscored lines It and I5 is utilized toforma'bo tom wall G best seen in Figure 2. a will hereinafter become ar p re That portion of. panel living outside c r dlin I9 is utiliz d to form a.-fiap m which is employed to secure a bottom wall G to a side wall D as seen in Figure 2. Similarly, set off fr m pa l 10 y s red line is panel n in which are disposed scored lines 2I and 22. That portion of panel n lying between scored lines 120 and 22 is utilized to form a bottom wall G, and that portion of .panel 11 lying outside scored line 22 forms a flap 0 which is employed to secure the bottom wall G to a si e wall D.

Set off from panel 7' along scored line 23 is fold section p extending from lines 24 to 2.5. Fold section 12 contains scored lines 26, 21, 28, 29, 33 and 3|, as shown, which enable the formation of two partition walls J of the assembled container, as will hereinafter become apparent. Similarly, set off from panel i along scored line 23 is fold section q. Fold section q contains scored lines 32, 33, 34, S5, 36 and :31, as shown, which enable he fo mation of wo partition walls .1 of the assembl ontainer.

In order to assemble the container from the blank which has been out and scored as herein-'- above described, fold section 10.13 folded upwardly and outwardly along scored line 23 to lie flat upon the blank. Next, fold section in is folded inwardly and downwardly along scored line 38 wi h he result that that portion of fold section 3) lying outside scored line has been doubled back to lie flat up n the blank. That portion of fold section p lying Outside scored lin 21 is also ou led back to lie fiat upon the blank by foldin it upwa d y a d inward y along scored lineal. In an identical manner, fold section q is folded upwardly and outwardly along scored line 23' to lie flat upon the blank, that portion of fold secwardly and inwardly along scored lines 6 and 9 to lie flat upon the blank. At this time that end portion of fold section p lying beyond scored line 26 is glued to panel 1, and that end portion of fold section q lying beyond scored lin 32 is glued to panel This operation results in the formation of two of the partition walls J as shown in Figure 1. Panels h, and i together, are then 4 folded upwardly and inwardly along scored lines I2 and I5 to lie fiat upon the blank. At this time that end portion of fold section p lying beyond scored line 3| is glued to panel 2, and that end portion of fold section q lying beyond scored line 31 is glued to panel h. This operation results in the formation of the remaining two partition walls J shown in Figure 1. Panels 1 and g, and h and z, are so proportioned that when folded together, as above described, they will overlap each other as clearly shown in Figure 6. This overlapping relation between these panels is an important feature of my invention resulting in reinforcement by a four-fold thickness along the line of loading of the container, as will hereinafter become apparent. The overlapping portions of these panels are glued together.

Next, panel 11. is folded upwardly and inwardly along scored line ZI. Flap o is then glued to the lower side of that portion of the inner side wall .D formedby the overlapping portions of panels c to form the two finger holes I-L' best seen in Figure 4.

With the completion of the above described operation, the container is completely assembled and is in the knocked down or collapsed form, illustrated in Figure 4.

While in this form, the container isconveniently handled and shipped, consuming no unnecessary storag or shipping space, and well protected against damage by tearing or crushing,

The fully assembled container, because of its saddl bag construction, can also be handled and shipped in the knocked down form illustrated in Figure 6. Thus, the shipper or handler may conveniently choose either of these alternative knocked down forms, depending upon the size of his shipping packages or storage space.

To render the container ready for use, th user must simply insert his fingers in finger holes H, and with the folded container in an upright position, strike the bottom thereof lightly against a flat, horizontal surface. The force of such blow will cause the bottom walls Gto unfold along scored lines I8 and 24, respectively, thereby rendering the container ready for use. The ease and rapidity with which the container can be altered from its knocked down form to one ready for final use is an important feature of my invention.

In the embodiment of my invention above described. it will be observed that the container is designed to accommodate six bottles, three in each of two compartments B. An important feature of my invention is that the container. is designed so as to give four ply thickness along the vertical line lying midway between the finger holes, along which line breakage is most apt to result because of the weight load. This is achieved by the overlapping relation existing between panels and z, and panels 9 and h, as hereinabove described. This reenforcement at the center of the inner side walls makes possible the employment of much lighter weight paperboard than has heretofore been practicable in bottle containers of this general nature. This feature of the invention makes possible great savings in manufacturing costs and also a'substantlal reduction in shipping and storing Weights and volumes, with the result that a satisfactory container can be supplied to the ultimate user at a minimum of cost.

It will be observed that each compartment 33 is separated into three partitions by means of partition walls J. The purpose of these partition walls is to prevent breakage likely to occur were adjacent bottles to strike eachbther while the loaded container is being carried. It will be noted that these partition walls extend almost the full height of the outer side walls E, thereby affording protection against undesired bottle contact. It is an important feature of my invention that the container is so designed that sufiiciently high partition walls to give adequate protection against bottle contact are obtained without necessitating any increase in the size of the blank-re-' quired, and without'weakening in any way the side walls of the container.

The dimensions of the container will, of course, vary with those of the bottles or other articles for which it is intended. It is desirable that the height of the container be made not greater than that of the bottles or similar articles for which it is' to be used. This will permit stacking of several filled containers, one above the'other, for shipping or display purposes.

Referring to Figure 3, it is seen that the height of the partition walls J is determined by the height of fold sections p and q, and similarly, the height of the side walls E is determined by the height of panels? and k. The relative heights of the side walls E and partition walls J can therefore be varied but with the'limitation that the height of the partition'walls J cannot eX- ceed the height of the side walls E. Further, as the height of the partition walls J is increased. the height of the side walls E will be correspondingly decreased. 7

As has been heretofore discussed, in order to minimize breakage caused by objects in the contain-er striking against each'other, it is desirable that the partition walls J extend vertically as far into the container as possible. For the same reason, it is desirable that the side walls be as high as possible. As has been described however, in the above embodiment of my invention an increase in the height of either of these walls must result in a corresponding decrease in the height of the other. As can be seen in Figure 3, the combined heights of the partition walls J and the side walls E must always be equal to the height of the container, the partition wallsJ being always equal to the difference between the height of the container and the height of the side walls E.

In Figures 7 and 8 is'shown a second embodiment of my invention in which the partition walls J are so designed that their effective height exceeds the difference between the height of the container and that of the side walls E. It is thereby possible, without increasing the size of. the blank, to increase the height of either the partition walls J or the side walls E without a corresponding reduction in the height of the other.

The blank shown in Figure 8 is identical to that of Figure 3 except that the straight line l cen-,

trally cutting the inner portion of the blank has been replaced by the line la. As seen in Figure 8. out line la alternately converges and diverges on both sides of the center line of the blank with the result that portions of fold sections 29 and q extend beyond the center line of the blank. In this manner those portions of fold sections q' lying between scored lines 32 and'33 and between scored 6,, lines 36 and 31, and those" portionsofitf-oldstsec tion p lying between scored lines '2Bland 21 and between scored lines 3| and 32 areincreased in height without increasing the size of the blank or decreasing the height of the panels k or 1'.

As seen in Figure 7, the result of the above deescribed modification is to increase the height of a portion of each of the partition walls J without decreasing either the height of the inner side walls D or of the outer walls E. In this manner the objects carried in the container are more fully protected against breakage caused by their strik-' ing against each other. e 1

It is to be understood that theform of my in vention, herewith shown and described, is to be" taken'as a preferred example of the same, and that various changes in the shape, size and ar rangement may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of my invention, or'the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:'

1.'A container for packaging a plurality of objects, comprising a blank of sheetmaterialcut' and creased to form two compartments connected to each other along their inner and upper margins, each such compartment-consisting of an inner side wall formed by two partially over-- lapping sections of said blank, two' end walls con'- nected t said inner wall,'an outer wall connect ed to each of said end walls, and a bottomfwall connected to said outer wall and having con nected thereto a gluing tabwhich is secured to the inner side panel, a plurality of cells in each of said compartments, each of said cells being formed by a fold sectionconjoined with the upper margin of the outerw'alland foldably, in wardly and downwardly between the said inner and outer side walls, a partition wall conjoined with said fold section and a gluing tab conjoined with said partition wall, said partition gluingtab being secured to the said inner side walls, a poring tabs in position for simultaneous cementa tion to said inner side walls, the overlapping sections of said inner walls constitutingcooperating.

gluing tabs.

2. A container for packaging aplurality of bo ttles or the like, comprising a blank of sheet material cut and folded to form two compartments conjoined along their inner and upper margins,

each such compartment consisting of an inner side wall formed'by two partially overlapping sections of said blank, two end walls conjoined with" said inner wall, each of said end walls being scored centrally and vertically to render it read-' ily foldable outwardly of said compartment, an

outer wall conjoined with said end walls, a bot-: tom wall conjoined to said outer wall, said bottom wall being scored centrally along its length rendering it 'foldable outwardly of said compartment, a gluing flap conjoined with said bottom wall and attached to said inner side wall, a fold section conjoined with the upper margin of the outer wall and foldable inwardly and downwardly between the inner and outer side walls, partition walls conjoined with said fold section, said partion walls being scored centrally and vertically rendering them readily foldable outwardly of the center of said'compartment and terminatingin gluing flaps for attachment to said inner. side wall, all said walls, sections and scorings be-i.

ing soproportioned that said container is readily collapsible to aflattened condition when fully assembled, the, gluing flaps of said bottom walls and partition walls being disposed, when folded, for simultaneous attachment to said inner side walls.

3. A container comprising a blank of sheet material cut and folded to form two compartments conjoined along their inner and upper margins, each of said compartments consisting of an inner side wall formed by two partially overlapping sections of said blank, two end walls conjoined with said inner side wall, each of said end walls being scored centrally and vertically to render it readily foldable outwardly of said compartment, an outer wall conjoined with said end walls, a bottom wall conjoined with said outer wall, said bottom wall being scored centrally along its length rendering it foldable outwardly of said compartment, a gluing flap conjoined with said bottom wall and attached to said inner side wall, a fold section conjoined with the upper margin of the outer side wall and foldable inwardly and downwardly between the inner and outer side walls, partition walls conjoined with said fold section, each of said partition walls being scored centrally and vertically to render them readily foldable outwardly of the center of said compartment, each of said partition walls having a portion thereof of greater vertical height than the difference in vertical heights between the said inner wall and the said outer wall and termi nating in gluing flaps for attachment to said inner side wall, all of said walls, sections and scoring being so proportioned that said container is readily collapsible to a flattened condition when fully assembled, the gluing flaps of said bottom walls and partition walls being disposed, when folded, for simultaneous attachment to said inner side walls.

4. A blank for constructing a container comprising a rectangular sheet at the corners of which are cut away rectangular sections, two inner side wall sections at each end of said blank set on from the interior of the said blank by transverse scored lines and from each other by a scored line running medially along the length of the blank, said sections being so dimensioned that the outerside of each such section will lie in partially overlapping relation to the outer side of the corresponding section at the otherextremity of the blank when the sections are folded inwardly to form the inner side walls of said container, end wall sections disposed inwardly of said inner side wall sections, two outer side wall sections each disposed inwardly of said end wall sections, two fold sections disposed between said outer side wall sections and utilized to form in-,

dividual bottle partitions in said container, two bottom walls each disposed outside an outer side wall and two gluing flaps each disposed outwardly of said bottom wall, each of the said end walls being scored medially along its length, each said fold section being scored transversely into a plurality of panels, and each said bottom wall being scored medially along its length, all of said sections, walls and scorings being so proportioned and dimensioned that the container constructed from said blank is readily collapsible to a fiattened condition when fully assembled. V

5. A rectangular blank for a container in which rectangular sections have been cut away from each of the corners of said blank, two inner side wall sections at each end of said blank set on from the interior of the said blank by transverse scored lines and from each other by a sacred line running medially along the length of the blank. said sections being so dimensioned that the outer side of each section will lie in partially overlapping relation to the outer side of the corresponding section at the other extremity of the blank when the sections are folded inward- 1y to form the inner side walls of said container, end wall sections disposed inwardly of said inner side wall sections, outer side wall sections each disposed inwardly of said end wall sections, two fold sections in the central portion of the said blank disposed between the said outer side wall sections and utilized to form individual bottle partitions in said container, the said two fold sections being out along a mutual line, said line running longitudinally along the center'portion' of said blank and converging and diverging from the center line of said blank portions of each of said tw fold sections thereby extending be yond the center line of the said blank, two bottom walls each disposed outside an outer side walland two gluing flaps each disposed outwardly of said bottom wall, each of the said end walls being scored medially along its length, each of said fold sections being scored transversely into a plurality of panels, and each of said bottom walls being scored medially along its length, all of said sections, walls, panels and scorings being so proportioned and dimensioned that the containerv constructed from said blank is readily collapsi ble to a flattened condition when fully assembled.-

6. A container comprising a, blank of sheet material out and folded to form two compartments conjoined along their inner and upper margins, each of said compartments consisting of an inner side wall formed by two partially overlapping sections of said blank, finger holes disposed in said inner wall, said finger holes being formed bycut out portions in each of said overlapping sections, the finger holes in the inner wall of one said compartment being in alignment with the finger holes in the inner wall of the other saidcompartment, two end walls conjoined with said inner side wall, each of said end walls being scored centrally and vertically to render it readily foldable outwardly of said compartment, an outer wall conjoined with said end walls, a bottom wall conjoined with said outer wall, said bottom wall being scored centrally along its length rendering it foldable outwardly of said said inner wall and the said outer wall, and terminating in gluing flaps for attachment to said inner side wall all of said walls, sections and scoring being so proportioned that said container is readily collapsible to a flattened condition when fully assembled, the gluing flaps of said bottom walls and partition walls being disposed, when folded, for simultaneous attachment to said inner side walls.

7. A rectangular blank for a container in which rectangular sections have been cut away from each of the corners of said blank, two inner side 9 wall sections at each end of said blank set off from the interior of the said blank by transverse scored lines and from each other by a scored line running medially along the length of the blank, said sections being so dimensioned that the outer side of each section will lie in partially overlapping relation to the outer side of the corresponding section at the other extremity of the blank when the sections are folded inwardly to form the inner side walls of said container, finger holes cut out in each of said sections and so disposed that when the said container is fully assembled, each finger hole in each of said inner side walls will be aligned with a corresponding finger hole in the other of said inner side walls, end wall sections disposed inwardly of said inner side wall sections, outer side wall sections each disposed inwardly of said end wall sections, two fold sections in the central portion of the said blank disposed between the said outer side wall sections and utilized to form individual bottle partitions in said container, the said two fold sections being out along a mutual line, said line tion of all of said glue tabs.

running longitudinally along the center portion of said blank and converging and diverging from the center line of said blank portions of each of said two fold sections thereby extending beyond the center line of the said blank, two bottom walls each disposed outside an outer side wall and two gluing flaps each disposed outwardly of said bottom wall, each of the said end walls being scored medially along its length, each of said fold sections being scored transversely into a plurality of panels, and each of said bottom walls being scored medially along its length, all of said sections, walls, panels and scorings being so proportioned and dimensioned that the container constructed from said blank is readily collapsible to a flattened condition when fully assembled.

8. A bottle holder, comprising: a blank having a central body and two pairs of diametrically opposed panels; the first opposed pair of panels being scored to form end walls and complementary inner walls of a pair of collateral compartments; the second pair of panels being scored to form individual bottom walls of said compartments, the extremities of said body adjacent said bottom wall panels forming outer walls of said 9. A dual container, comprising: a blank of sheet material having a central body portion and two pairs of diametrically opposed pairs of panels and scored and out along a central axis through one opposed pair of said panels to form dual container blanks; said one pair of panels being scored to form the end walls and complementary back walls of said dual containers; the other opposed .pair of panels being scored to form the bottom walls of said dual containers; the extremities of said body portion forming the front walls of said dual containers; the central section of said body portion being cut and scored to form partition walls; said partition walls and bottom walls having glue tabs and being foldable to place said glue tabs in juxtaposition; said back walls also having glue adapted to be placed in overlapping relation on folding of said back walls, said back walls on being folded adapted to overlie said front walls and the partition wall and bottom wall glue tabs for simultaneous cementation of all of said glue tabs. NOEL 'A.

References Cited in the file or this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,014,414 Purchas Jan. 9,1912 2,163,290 Powell June 30, 1939 2,205,157 Schrell June 18, 1940 2,313,747 Holm Mar. 16, 1943 2,395,711 Arnold Feb, 26, 1946 2,537,452 Forrer Jan. 9, 1951 

